1. Field
The present system relates generally to automated and modularized vending machines that can be custom deployed in diverse configurations. More specifically, the present system relates to automated vending systems utilizing an improved robotic dispensing module and associated inventory modules that can be assembled and configured to create diverse vending arrangements, with components linked together via a virtual integrated network.
2. Description of the Related Art
Numerous vending machines exist for selling or vending diverse products through an automated, or ‘self-service’ format. Vending reached popularity in the late 1800's with coin-operated devices dispensing diverse merchandise. More recently vending machines have evolved to include robotic dispensing components, and/or PCs and virtual interfaces. These new vending platforms have emerged in the marketplace under the popular descriptions “automated retail,” “interactive retail,” and/or “interactive retail displays.” Such vending machines may be deployed within a variety of commercial or public settings. They typically include illuminated displays that seek to offer convenient purchasing.
In the vending arts, machines historically have a similar design and orientation that make them unable to easily change machine sizes and configurations, inventory storage sizes and product form factors without rebuilding or redesigning the machine. Typically machines are “one size fits all”. There are some models of traditional vending machines that allow additional inventory areas to be added on, but these models do not utilize a robotic dispensing unit to move the product from the shelf to the collection area and rely on gravity (drop) systems. Because of the expense of robotic delivery systems and the configuration of these systems, these machines have been constrained to serving one user at a time through one side of the machine. In addition the machines come in a single size format and two machines have to be stacked adjacently to expand site capacity. In more modern robotic machines, the size of the machines tends to be larger than traditional vending machines and units cannot be reduced based on the robotic architecture and production of the machine. In all of these machines, the robotic dispensing system is built as a continuation of the inventory system and cannot be easily separated.
The present system introduces a preferred mechanism for dispensing items in a vending machine or automated retail store. It is preferably used in conjunction with an isolated and centralized robotic dispensing system that can support multiple inventory areas and technologies within those areas. The present system provides the ability to collect items delivered from a variety of inventory dispensing systems from multiple sides. It also provides the ability to deliver these collected items to users out of multiple sides of the machine allowing more than one person to simultaneously conduct transactions within the same machine, or to function with one or more inventory cabinets without any major modifications to the mechanism.
There is great value in having a common mechanism that can handle receiving merchandise from multiple inventory cabinets with various types of inventory tray dispensing mechanisms.
Being able to use multiple types of inventory tray mechanisms with a single dispensing system allows a greater range of possible inventory that can be dispensed. Specialized inventory trays can be customized to fit merchandise of varying form factors and still use the common centralized robotic dispensing system with reliability. This allows the machine to adapt and evolve over time without having to redesign the end dispensing system saving cost and development time.
These various inventory areas can be used with the same dispensing system allowing a great deal of flexibility in how the machine is configured. A machine can be composed of inventory elements, display units and a central dispensing area “strung together” enabling the machine footprint to grow/contract depending on environmental constraints. Inventory solutions can be updated and reconfigured to work with the central dispensing mechanism without significant customization of the dispensing mechanism, allowing for rapid accommodation of new types and amounts of merchandise for purchase or promotion.
This central dispensing system design allows greater reliability of dispensing by providing a uniform broader surface area (landing pad) for products to dispense. It also reduces axes of motion by 1 (e.g. X, Y, and Z reduces to Y and Z motion) by eliminating excess movement through inefficient placement of inventory and robotic components. Elimination of excess movement reduces potential points of failure and additional calibration and programming, in addition to increasing power efficiency and delivery speed. This design affords the ability to dispense out of multiple sides of the machine allowing more than one user to use the machine at the same time.
It is thus desirable to provide a method and mechanism that enables a wide range of inventory to be dispensed to a user with a common end dispensing system. It is also desirable to be able to isolate this mechanism in a standalone structure that can be attached to one or more inventory areas.